German opposition Christian Democrats tap leader Friedrich Merz as their candidate for chancellor
Germany’s opposition center-right Christian Democratic Union has chosen its leader Friedrich Merz to be its candidate for chancellor in next year’s national election
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's opposition center-right Christian Democratic Union announced Tuesday that it has chosen its leader, Friedrich Merz, to be its candidate for chancellor in next year's national election.
The decision sets the stage for a possible challenge of Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the federal election scheduled for September 2025.
Germans are looking ahead to next year's vote at a critical time, as the country's struggles to integrate large numbers of refugees and migrants and as the major European economy weakens. Recent extremist attacks have fueled a backlash against migration that is leading to a surge in support for the far right.
The fate of Ukraine will also be influenced by Germany's political direction. Berlin under Scholz has been one of the largest weapons donors to Kyiv, but many German voters are growing tired of the 2 1/2-year war against Russian invasion, and have turned their support to far-right and far-left parties that oppose arms deliveries to Ukraine. Merz wants to continue supporting Ukraine.
